Summary:
Any business found to be visibly-concealing the total space used for their perishable product packaging (if said unused space constitutes more than 1/5th of the total volume) will be penalized $1,000 per-day with penalty amounts earmarked for new / small business criteria-based program grants.
Goals:
Facilitate new or small business health.
Reduction of deceptive packaging and branding.
Encourage competition.
Core Ideas:
Bags of potato chips being filled only to a halfway point with the remaining space deceptively-concealed using company branding that consumers can’t see through before purchase; companies found doing this will be penalized $1,000 per-day with said penalty proceeds being earmarked to a new federal grant program meant to facilitate new / small business growth.
Possible New / Small Business Qualifying Criteria:
Businesses employing less than 100 people total per-state with a gross profit of $100,000 or less per-month.
Documented proof of at least 5 efforts made to facilitate community philanthropic effort (i.e. - donations to local causes, fund raising efforts for new local educational facilities, hospital or children’s needs, etc.).
Even though I can grab a bag of chips to put it in my cart and feel how much is in there and I understand that the extra space is to protect all the chips from getting crushed, I completely agree with this!
Fragile food items, like potato chips, require air to protect the items from breakage. Fining the companies for filling the bags with air, therefore, makes very little sense. My suggestion would allow the bag to be partially see through, so you can see the contents of the bag. The companies may have to get creative if part of the reason for the non-see through bag is to protect the oils on the chips from going rancid due to light exposure, though.
I’m assuming you didn’t read the entirety of my idea because if you had, you would’ve seen that it covers every single point you brought up. I stipulate how a fine occurs if said unused space constitutes more than 1/5th of total volume and how this also pertains to misuse of packaging that cannot be seen through (i.e. - transparent).
Fines are necessary to give some bite to the bark. If you don’t speak in their language, you’ll get nowhere with these companies whose only vernacular boils down to greed.